CAI combustion and the factors affecting it were intensively investigated in a single cylinder, air-assisted gasoline direct injection engine. CAI was achieved by means of residual gas trapping by utilising low-lift short duration camshafts and early closing of the exhaust valves. The effects of EVC (Exhaust Valve Closure) and IVO (Inlet Valve opening) timings, spark timing, single and split injection timings, coolant temperature, compression ratio, cam lift and duration on exhaust emissions and CAI operation were investigated experimentally. Engine speed throughout the course of the experiments, was varied from 1200rpm to 2400rpm and the air/fuel ratio was altered from stoichiometric to the misfire limit. The results show that the EVC timing, compression ratio, cam lift and duration had significant influences on CAI combustion and emissions. Early EVC when combined with higher compression ratio and higher cam lift, enhance CAI combustion operation and stability. IVO timing had minor effect on CAI combustion while spark timing hardly affects CAI operation as soon as fully-developed CAI conditions were established. Coolant temperature was revealed to have substantial impact on CAI combustion when the coolant temperature was below 65oC. The results also show the importance of injection timing. Early injection gave faster and more stable combustion, less HC and CO emissions, but more prone to knocking combustion and higher NOx emissions. Furthermore, CAI operation range could considerably be extended with injection during the recompression process. Late injection led to slower and unstable combustion, higher HC and CO emissions but lower combustion noise and NOx emissions. Split injection gave even further extension of CAI range in both stoichiometric and lean mixture operations. All the above clearly suggest, that optimising injection timing and using split injection is an effective way to control and extend CAI operation in a direct injection gasoline engine.

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This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.